AutoCad

[Pacifist_Farmer]

While autocad might be a good program it is by far not "the best cad program on the market ".

You might want to get a little more experience with CAD programs before making blanket statements like that.

if you can pick up a CAD package for $600 your getting a heck of a bargain.

Try Calgari, or even Google Sketchup, not very sophisticated, but you can sometimes get Calgari for free, a good idea especially if you've never done any CAD work before, or are just starting out.

[MoeMag]

Anyone else use Solid Edge?
I have student editions of autocad06, solidworks, and solidedge. So far solid edge is my favorite. It makes has really nice parts templates and is really easy putting together assemblies

ASU gives us the licenses to them, and we get the updates free so we never loose our licensing.

[y0da900]

if you can pick up a CAD package for $600 your getting a heck of a bargain.

Or you are just blowing $600.

A lot depends on what you want to use the software for. AutoCAD is not best suited for 3D work, it is not parametric, and has no mechanical analysis packages for it like Inventor, Solidworks, and even the more expensive versions of Alibre. AutoCAD is dimension driven, not design driven.

If you want to learn on something that has a more "modern" feel to it (parametric), I recommend the free version of Alibre. It isn't quite as intuitive as Inventor from my limited use of it, but it is by no means difficult to use, is powerful enough for most of what you would probably want when doing paintball stuff, and if you get to the point that you would want the fluid flow analytical options for design, you can always upgrade to the beefier packages. If you outgrow it, the full versions are substantially cheaper than either Solidworks or Inventor.

[mag_lover05]

well i have a copy floating around...but its not exactly....ummm legal.

[neppo1345]

Look into getting a copy of solid edge.

Stock class feed I made up for an ongoing project (accepts phantom feed tubes):





The software makes it easy to conceptualize, and I could have it made into a 2d drawing in a matter of minutes.

Now I just have to get this project off the ground and find someone to machine it for me.

[Dubstar112]

http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/8712/untitled1wx1.png

I highly suggest keycreator(cad key). I just thought Id post a screen shot of the workspace. Ive only ever worked with Auto Cad 2001 previously. However I did learn this program in college and still use it frequently.

Creating 3d is simple. From here I could extrude that shape. Or you can start in 3d by creating a 3d shape and modifying it to your liking. Start with a cylinder, cut a dovetail and drill and tap if i were making the stock class feed. You create something much like you would physically go about doing it in some cases.

[SummaryJudgement]

Does anybody know anything about converting Maya scene files (.mb or .ma) or .obj to CAD. I can model in Maya fairly well, but don't know the first thing about CAD.

[p8ntbal4me]

One thing I did find out about working with AutoCad this year (2006/2007) that I did not know about,.....

When you go buy a copy of the 2006 version,.. expect to not beable to merge it into a 2007 version when working your drawings.

I dont know if this holds true for ALL verisons of AutoCad 2006 to 2007 but my college as the suite for 2007 and I have the 2006 version at home. I would have to start my work in 2007 and not save any changes I did at home to the original design untillI went to class and merged it by hand.

Simular to the way you save .doc files in the LOWEST form on your word processing program to be .txt files, insuring that all programs can at least open your work.

I dont use Cad on a daily basis,.. but I get errors all the time going from a simple save between the 2 versions.

Just a heads up.

[Ydna]

LOL, I ran into that same issue. Pissed me off real good, it did.

I actually went back to useing autocad 2005 in the end. They switche dup stuff in the newer versions that, in my opinion, didn't need to be changed. At least nothing that impacts what I use the program to do.

I love autocad for 2d, and 3d wireframe (except nobody uses wireframe...). It can do the job for 3d but like he said above it' not parametric, so you can't edit previous parts of the model after you've made them.

Oh I also think the solidworks student version is $99 or thereabouts. Thatseems to be floating around in my head.

[neppo1345]

LOL, I ran into that same issue. Pissed me off real good, it did.

I actually went back to useing autocad 2005 in the end. They switche dup stuff in the newer versions that, in my opinion, didn't need to be changed. At least nothing that impacts what I use the program to do.

I love autocad for 2d, and 3d wireframe (except nobody uses wireframe...). It can do the job for 3d but like he said above it' not parametric, so you can't edit previous parts of the model after you've made them.

Oh I also think the solidworks student version is $99 or thereabouts. Thatseems to be floating around in my head.

We were 'given' solidworks for 'free'

I'm sure there was a hidden cost when we registered for the class or something.

Oh well, I'll worry about that when I graduate in 3 years (damned 5 year programs).

[y0da900]

AutoCAD 2007 has a new file format that it can save as. When you save a drawing, just save it as an earlier version from the dropdown menu, or set it to be your default in the options menu. 2004, 2005, and 2006 all saved to AutoCAD 2004 format by default, 2007 saves to 2007.

[slade]

Pro/Engineer is a good program (although i dislike a lot about the GUI); it is very expensive though, but you can find student versions for around $100. I was lucky enough to get a copy from a Raytheon engineer. PTC also makes Pro/Desktop, which they give to schools for free. Its not a bad program, you could look into that. Solidworks also gives away 180 day copies for free if you do anything with robotics (i just got my robotics team 25 copies). Then as someone mentioned theres also sketchup, which is completely free, and i think now owned by google.

[snoopay700]

I'm going to train with google cad or some other free one (so i can get the hang of it) until i get a full version cad.

[slade]

I'm going to train with google cad or some other free one (so i can get the hang of it) until i get a full version cad.

dont count on it. sketchup looks significantly different than other programs, and wouldnt teach you all that much. even pro/engineer is different enough from pro/desktop that youll have to learn quite a bit before you can adequately use it, after you've mastered pro/desktop. it cant hurt, but cad programs aren't universal.

[mag_lover05]

i suggest getting a used textbook that teaches you as you go from ebay for cheap.